I. Individual Representation Using Web Handles
Many types of individuals' information exchange currently take place on the Internet, and frequently the individuals are represented by web handles. For example, dating websites and discussion forums frequently represent individuals by web handles. Web auctions use web handles to represent individual sellers and buyers. Examples are “fromglobaltoyou”, “browneyedgirl022”, “faithingintheprize”, “beauty25”, “lively505”, and “beach296” where these represent individuals.
A characteristic of web handles is that laymen web users can easily register for one through filling out the forms sent by the website involved. Another characteristic is that the web handle's branding, as well as its privacy (the degree of information that is released by the web handle) is within the website.
The disadvantages of handles are that these are unprofessional-sounding names and registering for these names takes time. Perhaps more importantly, once attained, a web handle's branding value remains within the issuing website and doesn't carry to other sites or outside of the Internet.
II. Individual Representation Using Email Address
Another frequent form of individual representation on the Internet is email address. This form suffers from a number of disadvantages:                email address gives a channel of communications, but conveys very little individual information. That is, email address doesn't state name, title, occupation, etc.        the current form of SMTP email is highly subject to email spam, and studies now show that an average individual spends more time clearing away spam than receiving legitimate email. Spam are large quantities of unsolicited emails, frequently sent by unscrupulous promoters of pornography, get rich schemes, etc.        
At present, the most common form of individual representation is the paper business card, which frequently has SMTP email addresses printed and are subject to being spammed. Once spam starts, SMTP email becomes difficult to manage and use.
III. Individual Representation Using URLs, Part 1
Using a URL to represent individuals would solve the branding problems of web handles, but would cause privacy and URL-naming control difficulties.
Using a URL is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,242, “Method for managing a repository of user information using a personalized uniform locator”, by Rohit Chandra, which uses an unique code placed in front of a domain for a individual representation in Chandra's system. As such, identically named subdomains cannot be used. For example, Chandra's invention cannot use several “Joe” as subdomains, as in Joe.GM.com, Joe.Ford.com, and Joe.Microsoft.com.
In a document TDB0901.0055 posted by IBM on “e-business card system”, a URL is again used, with the example “e-buscard.ibm.com/12345. Here, the person's name is not in the URL, and there is no privacy control.
IV. Representation by URLs, Part 2
In patent application Ser. Nos. 09/853,167 by Chen Sun and Azkar Choudhry; 09/642,127 by Azkar Choudhry; and 10/189,063 and 10/074,081 by Chen Sun, it is shown that virtual subdomains addresses, a type of URL, have a syntax of Subdomain.Domain, and can represent individual's information.
The problem remained that using Subdomain.Domain for individual identification offered the individual limited privacy, as the individual's information URL is easily accessible by anyone.
Privacy can be solved by using password protection on the subdomain-domain displayed webpages. However, this would require additional steps in sending, memorizing, recalling, and typing passwords.
Privacy can also be solved by adding a file suffix that is not known to others. For example, addressing http://Joe.GM.com/56kje26 may show Joe's private deals that he offers only to customers, who know the “56kje26” private file suffix.
This Subdomain.Domain/FileDirectory syntax to represent an individual can have many advantages including:
Easy to verbally communicate personal contact information.
eMail capable by adding http:// to SDFD and sending it as a link.
Digitally manageable, as a SDFD can represent an addressable URL.
Print version capable by printing from http://SDFD.
Downloadable data to PCs through http://SDFD.
eCommerce capabilities
Exchangeable data
Database information included
Abundant information capable
There arises a need for an effective means of using URLs for individual representation that is spam-resistant, is useful in exchanging information, and has privacy capabilities; and a need for web exchanges that can use such an individual representation.